


In Hiding

by analyticamethyst



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: fenton's dad is a Bad Person, team science is there for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 14:12:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15559488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/analyticamethyst/pseuds/analyticamethyst
Summary: Fenton hides out at the lab. Gyro, Scrooge, and Manny are there for him.





	In Hiding

The Money Bin was buzzing with activity. It was closing time, on a Friday, and all its workers were ready to head home for the weekend. Scrooge McDuck practically ran out of the board room to Launchpad, ranting exuberantly about how he’d been planning his next adventure all day instead of paying attention to the meetings. His employees were not far behind.

The quietest place was the science lab, where Gyro was shutting his books and putting everything away into clean white bags. Manny waited by the door, tapping his hooves impatiently.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming, I’m coming,” Gyro snapped absentmindedly. “This stuff is dangerous, you know!” He warily placed a half-finished robotic something into a ziploc bag and suddenly glanced up, alert. “Did Fenton leave already?”

Manny jerked his stone head towards the spare bathroom in the corner. Fenton’s lab. Confused, Gyro placed the last part into a bag and strode over to the cubicle. A burst of annoyance shot through him at the sight. After Mr. McDuck had re-hired his old intern, he had insisted on giving Fenton a larger office space. Gyro shook his head and let out an annoyed snort, refocusing himself. Fenton was always so eager to leave and get home to his mother’s homemade Spanish cooking. He rambled about it, on and on and on and on and-

Gyro couldn’t see the other duck’s feet beneath the raised walls, but he could hear shuffling inside. He raised his fist to knock, then decided against it and pushed the door open.

Fenton was sitting on the stool, hugging his knees to his chest. Gyro marveled at the utter mess that was his workplace. Good thing he’s in here, separate from my work.

Fenton’s head shot up, and his eyes were wider than usual. “Doctor Gearloose! Is everything all right?”

Gyro frowned. “Yeah, it’s just closing time, and you’re usually pretty anxious to get out of here.”

Panicked and wide-eyed, Fenton scanned his lab anxiously. “Well, uh, this is a mess. Maybe I should stay late to clean it up?” He slowly stacked a crumbled piece of paper on top of another, his hands trembling.

Gyro quickly snatched the paper out of his grasp, smoothed it out in one quick motion, and set it down crisply on Fenton’s desk. “Your lab is always this messy,” he grumbled.

Fenton frowned and scanned the lab, and after a moment Gyro picked up some extra clutter in his vision. “Not… usually?”

Gyro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “All right, Crackshell. What’s up?”

Fenton turned his head away quickly. “Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Gyro replied dryly.

Fenton shrugged and hunched his shoulders, staring intensely at some spare bolts. “Just let me stay here a little longer is all. It’s fine.”

Gyro sighed and cast his eyes to the ceiling, but he didn’t object, just leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as Fenton scrambled to clean his office.

It was quiet except for Manny’s rhythmic tapping (his version of singing - very annoying, at least by Gyro’s standards) and Fenton fussing with his office.

Then, suddenly, there was a familiar buzz of a cell phone. Its owner nearly jumped a mile in the air and scrambled to find it, but Gyro lazily picked it up from under a stack of crumpled papers and blueprints. Fenton yelped and reached out, but instead of handing the phone to him, his former boss checked the caller ID and answered it.

Fenton’s hands shot to his mouth, muffling his panicked cries out of instinctive politeness, and made grabby motions at Gyro, who simply turned away and held a single finger in the air. The younger duck sighed and flopped back into his chair, crossing his arms and pressing his lips together. The momentum caused the chair to roll across the small office and crash into some already-crumpled papers, earning him a hard side glance from Gyro.

“No, this is his boss,” Gyro was saying, in the slightly less blunt tone he used for strangers. “No, he hasn’t left yet.” Gyro stiffened suddenly, his eyebrows raising. Fenton’s lips twitched with dry amusement. “Oh. I see. Well, he might have to stay late tonight. His office is a mess!” Gyro rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know I’m not technically his boss anymore. It’s what Mr. McDuck would want. Fine, I’ll tell him.” He snapped the phone shut without a goodbye and turned to face Fenton, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

Fenton sighed and swiveled the chair so he was facing Gyro. “That was my M’ma, wasn’t it?”

Gyro nodded, rolling his eyes. “That woman really knows how to hold a grudge.”

Fenton chuckled quietly.

Silence fell like a thick blanket around the two of them. Fenton crossed one leg over the other and suddenly became very interested in the squeaks made on the smooth floor by his swivel chair. Gyro tapped his fingers on his arm one, two, three times before setting his jaw and breaking the silence with his usual bluntness. “So. Your dad, huh?”

Fenton shook his head. “What did she tell you.”

Gyro raised one eyebrow. “Just that your dad is in town and staying for dinner. Oh, and that she doesn’t want you to miss it. Again.”

Fenton shrugged. “I guess I’m just always busy when he comes,” he replied, almost innocently enough to convince his coworker.

“Uh huh,” Gyro replied dryly. “And why is that?”

Fenton fidgeted with his tie. “It’s just… easier without him around.

Gyro stared at him stubbornly for a few more minutes, but when it became clear Fenton wasn’t going to say anything else, he sighed annoyedly and strode off. “I was going to stay late anyway. I suppose you can stay here too,” he groaned.

Fenton smiled nervously. “Thanks, Gyro.”

The chicken paused to glance back at Fenton. “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. I’m going out to get dinner, and whatever I get, you’re going to eat it and like it.” He set Fenton’s phone down on a pile of now neatly stacked papers and left.

Fenton chuckled. “You sound just like my M’ma.”

Gyro’s only response was an annoyed growl, and then the door banged shut with a loud clang.

\--

Fenton sighed and leaned back in his chair. The quiet sigh echoed around the large, cluttered room and he suddenly felt a burst of nerves and loneliness.

Manny clopped over and stood next to Fenton. He had never thought a headless horse with a statue of Scrooge McDuck for a head could provide a comforting presence, but there he was, standing next to Fenton in comfortable silence. Manny hadn’t been part of his and Gyro’s conversation, but now it was clear he’d been listening. Neither of them said anything, just stood there in comfortable yet wary silence.

After a few minutes Fenton picked up one of his papers and tried to read it, but his mind continued to wander and he barely processed the words on the page. Minutes flowed by and the two scientists sat there, absorbed in their own thoughts.

Fenton jumped when the door banged open and Gyro stomped inside, carrying steaming cartons. He dropped his bag on a shelf by the door and set the cartons down in the little spare space there was left on a table. “Manny, Cabrera. Come get your food,” he called absentmindedly, pulling some paper plates out of the supply cabinet.

Fenton grabbed a plate and fork and surveyed the food. “Are you a vegetarian?”

Gyro shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Cool,” Fenton replied, shoveling some food onto his plate. “I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t need to,” Gyro replied simply, taking his plate and walking over to his workplace.

Fenton set his plate down and started tinkering with his newest project. Between testing the Gizmosuit, his duties as Gizmoduck, and working on Gyro’s projects, he didn’t have a lot of time for his own. He carried his parts back and forth from the lab and home, working on it whenever he got the chance. It made for a lot of late nights with the door closed and a flashlight, but it was coming along nicely.

He’d been itching to work on it all day, but his need was curdled by the knowledge he wouldn’t be able to take it home. And he probably wouldn’t end up with a good night’s sleep anyway.

“Just because you’re staying here doesn’t mean you’re off scot-free,” Gyro called without looking up from his work. Like Fenton, he was mostly working, and shoveling bites of food in his mouth sparingly. “You still have to clean your office.”

Fenton sighed and reluctantly placed the watch gently down on the table before swiveling in his chair and surveying his messy office. Somehow it looked much worse that when he had dirtied it up earlier.

The office was quiet except for Gyro’s tinkering, Fenton’s cleaning, Manny’s sweeping, and the occasional sounds of chewing. No one spoke. It wasn’t that unusual for this kind of stupor to fall over the lab, and Fenton was used to cleaning it from his intern days, but something felt different about tonight. Maybe it was because he never stayed after hours unless he and Gyro were working on a big project. Maybe he wasn’t quite used to his new office yet.

Maybe it was because he couldn’t go home.

Fenton glanced at his phone when that thought occurred to him and then quickly glanced away. There was no use dwelling over it, anyway. He gathered up and smoothed papers twice as fast but sloppily, his hands shaking.

“Careful with those!” Gyro snapped from his desk. He still hadn’t looked up from his work. “Crumpling the notes could obscure the handwriting. You and Manny have horrible handwriting. It wouldn’t take much to mess them up.”

Manny tapped an indignant response that involved not having opposable thumbs and continued sweeping.

Fenton sighed and straightened out the papers, but his hands were still shaking.

It didn’t help his nerves when the door banged open. Both he and his anxiety jumped a mile high.

Usually Scrooge’s visits put him on edge, but tonight, knowing he wasn’t someone else, his presence was almost comforting.

Almost.

Scrooge surveyed the three of them and sighed. “Gyro, what have Ae told ye about picking up fast food?”

Gyro sighed. “That getting an apple is cheaper,” he replied in a monotone voice. “I usually eat healthy, Mr. McDuck! But I had to get food for Fenton and Manny too.”

“You could have just gotten them apples too,” Scrooge grumbled.

Apples are better for horses, Manny tapped.

“Yer absolutely right!” Scrooge exclaimed, pointing his cane at Manny. “Apples are better for horses!”

Gyro sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Now, Fenton,” Scrooge called, making his way over to his workplace. “Ae got a call from yer mother.”

Fenton froze, papers sliding out of his hand, and groaned. He would have slammed his head on his desk if he was still sitting at it.

No - bad idea. He could have crushed his project and his dinner. And his project was pokey. It might injure him. He would never hear the end of it from M’ma and Gyro.

Scrooge stopped in front of his open office door and settled his cane in front of him with both hands resting on its handle. “She says yer avoiding her and she wants ta sue me an’ Gyro for making ye stay tonight of all nights.”

Scrooge didn’t sound particularly bothered, either by the notion that he could easily beat her in court or that she would probably never carry out her threat, as police don’t make all that much, but there was still an irritated edge to his tone. “Now Ae know ye are between projects as o’ now, so there’s no reason for Gyro to force ye to stay overtime, especially if ye had something planned for tonight.”

That was partially incorrect - Fenton’s personal project waited on the desk - but he knew Scrooge was right. “It’s just my dad is over,” he mumbled. “No big deal.”

Scrooge raised his eyebrows. “Well Ae’d really prefer to not be sued, so maybe ye can talk to her.” He held out his gold flip phone. M’ma’s number flashed on the screen. Fenton hesitated, his hand shaking.

Scrooge slowly pulled the phone back towards his body. “Or, ye can tell me what’s going on and Ae can handle it.”

“Good luck with that,” Gyro called. “He wouldn’t tell me earlier.”

“Do you want to go somewhere private?” Scrooge asked, surprisingly gentle. “Most everyone is gone.”

Somehow that was scarier than Gyro and Manny knowing. Fenton shook his head.

“Well then, lad,” Scrooge replied. “Enlighten us.”

Fenton chuckled nervously and took a deep breath. “My dad was never around. He and my mom separated when I was really little. I don’t remember them being together. But when I was about four, he heard about what I could do with science and engineering. He started coming by. He works in computers. His company used to be big. He always wanted me to come work for him, but I never did.” He turned his head away. “I don’t like seeing him. He doesn’t hit me anymore, but I still don’t like it.”

He kept his head turned away. He didn’t want to see their reactions.

A soft set of footsteps approached and a hand landed on his shoulder. “Ae see now, lad. That’s tough. Ye can stay here anytime.”

Fenton smiled. “Thank you, Mr. McDuck.”

Scrooge got up and glanced at Gyro and Manny. “Ae doubt it’ll happen, but if the father attempts to come here, keep him out, ye hear? And donnae leave Fenton alone here.”

“It’s okay Mr. McDuck, they don’t have to-” Fenton protested, but Scrooge held up a finger and he fell quiet instantly.

“It’s okay,” Gyro replied, most of his usual bluntness gone. “I have things to work on anyway.”

Manny tapped an agreement.

Fenton grinned. “Thanks, guys.”

Scrooge tapped him lightly on the shoulder with his cane. “Now lad, next time this kind of thing happens, ye tell us. Then, maybe Ae won’t get sued.”

Fenton ducked his head. “Sorry, sir. I will, sir.”

“That goes for the rest of ye too,” Scrooge announced sternly, pointing his cane at Gyro and Manny.

Gyro rolled his eyes. “Yes, sir.”

Manny tapped assent.

Scrooge flung his cane over his shoulder. “Now, I have a family to get back to. Let Mrs. Quackfaster know when you want breakfast. She’s usually in early. And get some sleep, ye hear?”

“Yes, sir,” the scientists chorused.

“Good.” Scrooge strode out of the lab and up into the elevator. The three scientists stood in silence, and from their quietness Fenton could hear Launchpad calling cheerily to his boss from three stories up.

He sighed and sat back in his chair.

He wouldn’t be able to really relax until his father was gone.

But now, now knowing he’d be safe at the lab…

His nerves vanished and so did the adrenaline they’d been pumping, and suddenly his eyelids were drooping.

\--

Gyro snorted and watched Fenton snore. A few minutes after Scrooge had left he’d glanced up and seen the other scientist out cold.

He shook his head and returned to his work. All is well.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here’s the Older Brother Gyro thing I was talking about. Scrooge, though still emotionally awkward, has way more experience being a father figure than Gyro :P I headcanon Fenton’s dad as problematic, and that it strengthened his relationship with his mom. So here’s that. Team Science have each other’s backs.
> 
> I hit writer’s block in this fic so that’s why a good chunk of it is Gyro, Fenton, and Manny sitting around eating Chinese food :P
> 
> Heads up - tomorrow is band camp, so I probably won’t be posting anything. I won’t be able to see the new episode either, unless I get lucky tomorrow night.


End file.
